Many puzzles include a generally planar support, a generally rectangular frame attached to or unitary with the support and a plurality of pieces movably disposed within the frame. Typically, the area defined by the movable pieces will be smaller than the area defined by the frame. Thus, one or more empty spaces will exist in the area defined by the frame. The user of the puzzle or game sequentially moves the pieces into the one or more empty spaces thereby creating a new empty space. In this manner, the various members disposed within the frame can be moved relative to one another and relative to the frame.
In some puzzles of the general type described above, each puzzle piece disposed within the frame is provided with certain indicia, and the object of the puzzle is to sequentially move the pieces within the frame to either form an image, create a message or define some specified alphabetic or numeric order. Certain puzzles of this type employ movable pieces of different sizes and shapes. Other puzzles of this type may include one or more exits or entrances within the frame to facilitate or complicate the movement of the various pieces. On most puzzles of this type, the various puzzle pieces and the frame are formed with interlocking arrays of tongues and grooves or interlocking arrays of stepped edges to prevent the various puzzle pieces from becoming disengaged from the planar support and/or the frame. Generally larger puzzles with more pieces are easier in that they provide more room for maneuvering pieces.
It is an object of the subject invention to create an intriguing puzzle employing a plurality of pieces movably disposed within a frame.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a puzzle having a plurality of rectangular pieces movably disposed within a rectangular frame.
Still another object of the subject invention is to provide a puzzle having a plurality of square pieces and a plurality of elongated rectangular pieces movably disposed within and elongated frame.
A further object of the subject puzzle is to provide a single puzzle having a plurality of rectangular pieces movably disposed within a rectangular frame and providing a plurality of separate puzzle games exhibiting varying degrees of difficulty and providing the user with a plurality of distinctly different challenges.